The present invention relates to a lighter, such as a cigarette lighter. In particular, the invention relates to a single-action mechanism which may employ one compression spring both to bear a flint against a flint wheel and to control movement of a lid assembly. However, a second spring may be included to control more forcefully the lid assembly without causing additional pressure of the flint against the flint wheel.
In general, there are two principal mechanical features in a simple cigarette lighter. Firstly, a flint wheel must be provided which can be rotated to abrade a flint and the second feature is a lid or cover which not only protects any moving parts but also turns a fuel supply on and off as it is opened and closed. It is common practice for these two features to be provided by one rather complex mechanism. However, such single-action lighter mechanisms have a large number of moving parts. They are, therefore, complex and expensive to produce. Another disadvantage of these known mechanisms is that they are bulky and, therefore, take up a large amount of the total volume of the lighter, thereby reducing the space available for fuel.